It is well recognized in the optical art, that even with the most expensive conventional spectacle frames, the initial fitting by the optician can seldom deliver a nose piece that will universally fit all noses, or have a fit that will make contact with more than 20-30% of the nose surface.
In most cases, this is a result of the particular shaping of the conventional nose piece, which is adapted to rest on the opposing sides of the nose rather than on the bridge area of the nose.
The sides of the nose are considered the most sensitive and painful nose contact points, while the nose bridge is deemed the least sensitive to pain contact point. Because of its strategic location, the nose bridge may also aid in the equal distribution of the weight of the spectacle frame over the entire surface of the nose.
Known spectacle frames, whether or not using conventional nose pieces, tend to slide down the sides of the nose in response to certain head movements or any radical change in facial expression. This sliding down recurrs frequently and requires constant readjustment by the user, for example, to push the frame upwardly back into the correct mounting position on the nose.
This is not only a source of agony and pain to the spectacle frame user, but also defeats the main purpose underlying proper optical fitting of eyeglasses, which is to prevent lens misalignment and retain or continuously support the frame in a proper and stable mounting position on the nose of the user.
There have been many attempts in the prior art to resolve the difficulties encountered in the use of conventional spectacle frames and nose pieces.
For example, various modifications in temple bars and attachments thereto have been devised and developed in an attempt to retain the frames in a stationary position and in proper height on the forehead or nose of the user. In addition, several types of nose pads were developed for comfortable wear and better retaining of the frames on the forehead of the user.
However, the improved temple bars, as well as the nose pads, were only partially effective in retaining the frames in a proper fixed position on the nose of the user.
Since the pads have a fixed thickness and are secured by adhesive to the bridge portion of the frame, they are not capable of accurately adjusting the height or elevation of the frame on the nose, and as a result, they cannot provide for proper lens alignment.
The nose pads also tend to concentrate the weight of the frame at two pressure points at the lower end of the opposed sides of the nose. This means that each pressure point at the side of the nose, which point constitutes ten percent (10%) or less of the nose surface, is carrying 50% or more (if the frames are slightly bent) of the frame's weight. This causes, accordingly, pain and great discomfort to the user, in addition to the failure to maintain the frame in the proper mounting position.
All other devices and methods developed in the prior art for resolving the problems and eliminating the difficulties encountered in the use of conventional spectacle frames and nose pieces have failed in a similar manner to provide the proper means for continuously supporting the frame in a proper fixed mounting position on the nose of the user.
It is in view of this long-felt need in the art that the inventor has investigated and discovered the source of the problems in the art and has developed the present invention, which substantially eliminates the difficulties as set forth above.